Shutter-adjusting mechanism for vehicle-lamps.



P. LAITA.-

SHUTTER ADIUSI'ER MECHANISIVI FOR VEHICLE LAMPS.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2851914.

Patened Sept. 26, IMIS.

1,199.2578 Y I I I #SHEET P. LATTA.'-

SHUTTER ADJUSTER MECHANISM FOR VEHICLE LAMPS. APPLICATIQN FILED SEPT.28. 1914.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHE-ET 2.

PAUL LATTA, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

SHUTTER-ADJ USTIN G MECHANISM FOR VEHICLE-LAMPS.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, PAUL LATTA, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallasand Stateof Texas, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements inShutter-Adjusting Mechanism for Vehicle-Lamps, of'which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to an improved means for dimming the lights of anautomobile or other vehicle and it has for its main object theinterposition between the source of light and the refiector for the lampof a shutter of relatively simple construction so arranged that it mayreadily be operatedy manually by the driver of the vehicle.

With the above and various other objects in view, my invention hasrelation to certain novel features of the construction and use, anexample of which is described in .the following specification, and visillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a view showing in side elevation the front portion of anautomobile, which is equipped with my adjusting mechanism to controllshutters within the lamp.V Fig. 2 isa-'plan view of the same. Fig. 3 isa bottom view of one of the lamps. Fig. 4 is avertical sectional view ofone of vthe lamps, the section being taken on a-a of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 isan enlarged detail sectional view of one of the lamps, the section aisbeing taken on b-Jn of Fig. 4, the two-part shutter beingl shown .in itsclosed position.

Fig.`6 is a similar view in which the two- 4 part shutter is shown openor' in its normal position. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail sectionalview of the lamp, the section being taken on the line cL-c of Fig. 6.Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail section of a portion of my mechanismwhich is mounted upon the dashboard of the vehicle. Fig. 9 is a detailvertical section taken upon the line d-d of Fig. l.

, Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein likereference characters designate similar parts in all the figures, thenumeral 1 denotes the body of an automobile, 2 the hood thereof, 3 thedashboard, and 4 the lamps. Within each lamp some source of light isprovided, in this instance a gas burner 5 being shown. The rear wall ofeach lam is formed by a reflecting member 6, and s connection with thebody of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26', 1916.

Application led September 28, 1914'. Serial N o. 863,795.

the lamp through two members 7 and 8 having a diameter somewhat greaterthan that of the l-amp itself. The peripheries of the members 7 and 8are formed with flanges 9 which have a screw threaded engagement onewith the other. formed upon the member 8 enters into screw threadedengagement with the body of the lamp, and a similar flange 11 formedupon the member 7 has screw threaded engagement with the rear portion 6of the lamp. Between the members 7 and 8, and contiguous with thelatter, there is mounted a circular plate 13 interiorly fitting theflange 9 of the plate 7, and free to undergo a limited rotation relativeto the other portions of the lamp. Sald plate 13 is formed with acentral circular orifice 14 flush with the interior wall of the'lamp.The flange v9 of the plate 7 is formed with a slot in its bottom portionas indicated at 15 (see Fig. 6) through which a short arm 16 projectsintegrally downward from the plate 13. The function of said arm and saidslot is hereinafter made clear. Between the plate 13 and the member 8,there are mounted two similar coacting shutters 17 and 18, which arerespectively pivotally mounted upon the plate 13 at vertically alinedpoints 19 and 19a, which points lie just above and below the orifice 14.Furthermore, a. pivotal lconnection is established between the plate 13and each shutter by a pin 20, passing through a short radial lslot 21formed in said plate, the pins 20 being diametrically opposed relativeto the correlated plate 13.

The head of the pin 19 by which' the shutter 17 is pivotally mountedupon the member 8 constitutes a stop to limit the closing motion of theshutter 18, a shoulder 22 being formed upon said shutter to have contactwith said stop. Similarly the head of the pin 19a constitutes a stoplimiting the motion of the shutter 17 as the latter reaches its closedposition, said shutter being formed with a shoulder 22 exactlycorresponding to that provided to the other shutter.

Each shutter is formed with one arcuate edge 22a which when the shutteris in its vopen position has contact with the interior surface of thelamp. Another arcuate edge e '22b of each shutter extends to a semi-circof radius equal to the orifice 14, with which said edge is alined whenthe shutter is in its open position. A coiled spring 23 extending fromthe arm 16 to a pm 24 mounted ex- An annular flange 10' teriorly uponthe lamp therebeneath, tends to maintain the plate 13 and shutters 17and 18 in positions such as to leave the orice 14 unobstructed, sovthatthe light from the burner may be freely reflected at 6. Each downwardlyprojecting arm 16 is pivotally engaged by one arm of a bell crank 24a,which is pivoted at its apex upon a bracket 25 projecting rigidlydownward from the correlated lamp. From the other arm of each bell crank24, a cord 26 extends rearwardly to the dashboard 3, and there makes aquarter turn toward the center of the vehicle over a pulley 27 ,mountedupon the dashboard within one side of the hood. From the pulleys 27, thetwo cords 26 are extended toward each other into the hood, and afterpassing under pulleys 28, said cords extend convergently upward toconnect with a cord 29. The cord 29 makes an approximate quarter turnover a pulley, 30 mounted upon a bracket 31 projecting .rom the topportion of the dashboard. Extending slightly forward from the pulley 30,said cord is attached to the front end of a slide bar 32, which passestransversely through the dashboard, a bushing 32 being inserted in thedashboard to receive said bar. A hand grip 33 is mounted fast upon themember 32 at the rear of the dashboard, adapting it to be manuallydisplaced from its normal position shown in dash lines in Fig. 8 to thetemporary position shown in full lines. The springs 23 will transmit apull through the cords 26 and 29 to normally maintain the push bar 32 inits normal position. In order that the member 32 after havingbeendisplaced to its rearmost position may be retained in said positionby" mechanical means, a latch member 35 is mounted upon the rear portionof said member, its 'rear ends being hinged as indicated at 36 within arecess 34 in the pull rod. A

small coiled spring 37 interposed between the free end of the llatchmember and the member 32 tends to maintain the latch member slightlydisplaced from the recess'34v at its free end as indicated in Fig. 8. Abutton 38 projecting upwardly from the latch member adapts the latter tobe displaced into the recess 34: when it is desired to shift the mem ber32 to its forward limiting position. As

long as the latch member is permitted to` project from the recess 34,the free end of said member abuts against the dashboard and thusmaintains the member 32 in` its rearmost position.

From the preceding description, the operation of my shutter controllingmechanism is apparent. As long as the 4spring 23 is permitted tomaintainthe plate 13 in its normal position (illustrated in Fig. 6), theshutter members 17 and 18 occupy positions contiguous with the interiorsurface of the lamp, in Vwhich position they interpose no obstacle tothe light impinging through the orifice 14 upon the reflector 6. V'Vhenthrough a pull exerted upon the member 32, the plate 13 is displaced tothe position illustrated in Fig. 5, the shutter members 17 and 18 areswung about their respective pivots 19 and 19, reaching the positionsshown in Fig. 5 in which they completely shut off the reflector 6 fromthe burner.

When the shutters are thus adjusted in their closed positions, the lampswill emit a very soft light as compared to the glare produced when thereflectors of the lamps are 1n use.

The invention is presented as including properly come within the scopeof the following cl-aim. v

What I claim is: v

In a device "of the character described, a vehicle lamp having adetachable reflector forming its rear wall, two members of relativelylarger diameter than then body ofvlthe lamp and screw threaded to eachother, 4one 'of said members being in screw threaded PAUL LATTA.llitnesses:

R. E. C. BRUGKNER,

C. A. ELLIS.

vall .such modifications and changes as

